Hello citizens of Boundary County. I am writing to you regarding the election campaign of Travis Stolley for the Office of Sheriff. Though he is currently an active member of the community, you may be wondering about his past history, particularly the time frame when he was not in the Bonners Ferry area and serving this great nation as a staff non commissioned officer in the United States Marine Corps.
The purpose of this letter is to shed light upon that time frame so you can be informed of the less documented part of his life and be assured he is most fit for the position.
In short, Travis never asked me to write a letter of endorsement or of recommendation but hearing of his campaign, I felt obligated to offer my recommendation. During the time frame of 2011-2014, Travis was not just a Marine under my charge but was one of my most beloved sergeants.
Three aspects of his character really stood out to me. First, his integrity was unwavering. Second, he displayed a unique balance of common sense and intelligence. Third, his grounded leadership style was mature for his rank at the time.
His integrity was strong in that he simply did things for the right reason, if he thought something was wrong, not only would he stand up to me but also stand up to the group-think of his peers both of which takes the highest levels of moral courage.
He brought the perfect balance of intellectual intelligence with good old common sense to the table. When tough intellectual decisions had to be made, he was one of the few I would go to for advice. While at the same time, he understands life and human nature from a common sense perspective making him unique in his ability to problem solve social issues.
Marines are often known for being a bit hot headed in their leadership style which at times can be an advantage but is not what one wants in an office such as sheriff. Travis was not like other Marines of his grade. Instead of a fiery sergeant, he kept the demeanor of a very mature officer in his leadership style which will fit excellently into the position of sheriff.
There are many other positive attributes of Travis Stolley that I could highlight. However, my purpose is to simply shed light upon the time frame he was away from Boundary County and assure the citizens that his actions during his time frame with me make him more than qualified and fit for the duties of sheriff.
Major Matthew Kangas
United States Marine Corps